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Article
Weather Factors Influencing Winter Roosts of American Crows in Central Iowa
Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science
  • Joshua D. Obrecht, Iowa State University
  • Stephen J. Dinsmore, Iowa State University
Document Type
Research
Keywords
  • American Crow,
  • Corvus brachyrhyncos,
  • Winter,
  • Roost,
  • Weather,
  • Corvidae
Abstract

We investigated the effects of season and weather on the winter roosting behavior of American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) in central Iowa from January through March 2006. The peak number of birds recorded at a roost in Ames, Story County was 9,000+ in early February, and the number of individuals entering the roost decreased through February and March. Crows tended to enter the roost later in the day as winter neared completion. High wind speed and low light intensity caused individual to enter the roost earlier in the day. Temperature did not affect arrival time of crows. Wind speed, light intensity, and temperature did not significantly affect total number of individuals entering the roost (P > 0.05). However, all three factors were negatively correlated to total number of birds on the roost (-0.20, -0.25, and -0.18 respectively). This research improves our understanding of the roost dynamics of an abundant urban wildlife species, which may eventually be used to manage interactions between humans and wildlife in an urban setting.

Original Publication Date
1-1-2007
Publication Date
January-December 2007
Copyright
© Copyright 2008 by the Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.
Language
EN
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Joshua D. Obrecht and Stephen J. Dinsmore. "Weather Factors Influencing Winter Roosts of American Crows in Central Iowa" Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science Vol. 114 Iss. 1-4 (2007) p. 35 - 39
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/stephen_dinsmore/95/